"Opposites Attract"

($40.00.....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"Opposites attract in art and relationships." Too much of the same thing tends to create boredom. I suppose that's why opposites are attracted to each other. The evidence seems to prove that two opposites make a complete whole rather than two of the same thing.

In this extreme close up of a chandelier, the crystal next to the iron work is just about as opposite as you can get. In art, these contrasts are very important. Some of the other important contrasts to think about are: contrast in size...contrast between edges (crisp or diffused)...realism contrasted w/ abstraction...light vs. dark...contrast of line (thick / thin)...detail vs. no detail...etc.

Noticing the contrasts you see on any given day is another way to get your head wrapped around the opposites in our visual world. Too much harmony and not enough contrast is generally the number one problem of artwork that will not hold your visual interest for more than five seconds. Having too much contrast will also cause a viewer to look away quickly. The visual overload is just too much to handle. Finding the balance is the essence of integration and worth thinking about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Transparency"

($40.00.....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"Transparency is an amazing quality that describes some types of glass as well as people with integrity." This is a close up shot of a chandelier in an antique store. The contrast between the iron and glass was stunning and the whole image brought this quote to my mind. It also has a historic look and sparkle of Christmas.

The first layer of this image created the "wow" factor. I did a monoprint on Arches Text Wove, using ink instead of Walnut Ink. It is Caran d'Ache Caribbean Sea, diluted with a bit of water and monoprinted on very wet paper. The actual photograph shows the glass as clear with little or no color. It will give you quite the adrenalin rush to experiment with these intense inks so you might want to peruse through your photos and look for some transparent glass. I suppose you could accomplish this look in Photoshop, but you would not have the "random" placement of the blue.

Just in case you may not know how to do a monoprint, let me explain. Pour or mix a bit of color, using any water media, onto a hard surface creating a puddle. Spray a piece of watercolor paper (or leave dry) and lay the paper over the puddle and press over the back with your hand. Lift and there's your monoprint. You can even do it several times until you're satisfied with the print. Dry and print your photo.

There is also a lot of gradation going on in this piece...not only in the image, but in the lettering. Gradation in lettering can happen two ways. You can either change the value of the medium as you write or you can use one value to write with and letter over several different values in the image. Either way will achieve a gradated effect. (Some viewers will hate this if it is more difficult to read, but it does achieve a nice "fading out" effect.) I will say that this quote is very readable if you are holding the original in your hand. Just a few more things to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"In or Out" ($60.00)

(adjusted price.....$60.00......mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard)


"Editing is the process of deciding what's in and what's out." Every artist is an editor and must decide what design elements are in or out. Actually, everyone is an editor of their own lives as well. We each decide what thoughts are in or out. Enjoy your life by being a good editor.

You may be wondering why I painted a light fixture in this piece. It represents the big moment in art or in life when there is a paradigm shift that often results from good editing. In artwork, it is that awesome moment when nothing needs to be added or taken away. In real life, it is allowing the right thoughts to occupy your mind and disallowing the negative ones to dominate.

So I definitely wanted to use a random application of gesso to create light filled shapes in the background. The band of black gesso on the right grounds the piece. You are able to see clearly how a dilute application of acrylic in Green Gold and Cobalt Turquoise (Golden Fluid Acrylics) reacts when painted over the gesso and the more saturated areas where the paint hits unprimed paper. It is important not to keep "fussing" with a piece until it's ruined. Let the process and materials do the work. Observe why something turned out the way it did so you can repeat it again. Acute observation is essential to the editing processl So turn the light on by becoming a good editor. Just something to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"The Chandelier" ($40.00)

(adjusted price......$40.00)

All spaces in any style look more opulent with a chandelier. There is something fascinating about the form, the detail, and most of all...the light. Enjoy the form of your chandelier whether it's simple or ornate.

The first layer of this piece has a very busy background, but it has an elegance by virtue of the "grayed down" color palette.

The best way to integrate an image into a busy setting is to create a solid color silhouette. It also helps to choose an image that has interesting form or detail. The choice of white also gave it a regal look.  If I had made it a black, lime green, or cadmium scarlett chandelier, the effect would have been totally different.

Notice also that the addition of the white dots and placement of the quote helped me to design my corners. I also added some charcoal powder to the vertical gray band to help ground the piece. Just a few things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Symphony" (unavailable)

(unavailable)

The woodwinds, brass, percussion, and stringed instruments all come together to produce the richest and fullest sounds. Comparing love to a symphony is the perfect way to describe all of the display and exchanges of affection that will take place this day. Happy Valentine's Day!

The square format is always interesting because there is not a strong vertical or horizontal orientation. There is actually more freedom of possibilities in dividing the space. In this piece I was able to create some interesting shapes by having the stamped and mono printed imagery coming in from all four sides. Notice the strong black and white shapes playing off of each other. Notice how different artists divide their space. Imagery needs to connect from edge to edge to create the most dynamic shapes.

"Recklessly" ($30.00)

(adjusted price....$30.00)


The chandelier is an icon of light, grandeur, and celebration to me...and they're downright beautiful! As in several of the quotes I've written, this one can have a spiritual or secular meaning. I prefer to think about the love that God wants to bestow when we pursue Him.

I've already mentioned that I am using liquid graphite from a tube to stamp and draw the imagery. Each tube has a slightly different tint and this is the blue one. The brand name is Derivan if you want to give it a try. The lettering and flourishing are done with a light purple gouache..."grayed down", of course. Allowing a very intense color to dominate a piece is not acceptable visually to most viewers. Save the super intense for very select areas.

"Fallen Into Place" (unavailable)

(permanent collection of dee day)


This quote is a lovely way of describing the deepest motivation of our heart. It can actually have a deeply spiritual meaning or reveal the priority of our affections to those we love or a passion for something we do. With Valentine's Day approaching, this is a thought worth pondering.  Enjoy!